K-9 to 5

Sure, the dog is man’s best friend, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have a circle of close pals in the workplace.

Various Westerville organizations employ the services of working and therapy dogs to help protect, comfort and teach members of the community. Wherever they go, these cuddly canines find friends for a lifetime, by either going into the danger zone to preserve safety or by simply lending a listening ear.

The Furry Familiar

As someone recovers from injury, his or her time spent rehabilitating can get lonely. But at Edgewood Manor, a caring companion roams the halls occasionally to bring the comfort of home back to their lives.

Porter, a retriever mix, wanders the rehabilitation center, offering a mellow moment of companionship and the ability to bring back great memories.

“We used to visit an older gentleman, a war veteran with declining health,” says Ellen Hinkler, Porter’s owner. “You could feel his deep love for dogs. He would tell me about his one dog in his life that he just adored. He would show me his picture of his dog. It was a bright spot in his day. We always made sure to find him.”

Porter and Hinkler were called to action by the family member of a patient at the rehabilitation center after the pup’s therapy dog training.

“We ended up there after getting an email about someone’s relative who wanted to have a therapy dog visit,” Hinkler says. “We loved the place, they liked us and so we kept going back. You try to find what works best for you and your dog. This has been a good fit for both us.”

But Porter doesn’t just visit those with requests. He offers his services to anyone with an open door, and his loveable nature brings out the friendliness in people.

“We can’t just see one person, so we walk around and meet a lot of the residents at Edgewood,” Hinkler says. “They share their stories because they get comfortable easily, and it’s like they’ve known you for a long time. We’ll visit any room, and we don’t take it personally if they say no. We understand not everyone is a dog person, but dogs certainly do a lot for health, even if it perks someone up just for a few minutes.”

Porter has also helped with a reading tutoring program at Hawthorne Elementary School. The children took such a liking to him that staffers gave him a bag of dog biscuits and a handful of Christmas cards.

Pooch on Patrol

The ability to see in color may be absent from dogs’ repertoire of skills, but their noses are renowned for their ability to sniff out even the faintest of smells.

Westerville police officer Bryan Schwartz and his three-year old Belgian Malinois, Fiji, do not let that talent go to waste.

“There was an apprehension where she found a suspect that was hiding in a wooded area as we looked for four hours,” Schwartz says. “We worked her into the wind, not trying to find the person, but the odor. She picked up the scent, located him and we got him into custody. Because of her, we did it.”

Another impressive feat to date is when she sniffed out more than a kilo of heroin while the unit was on a search warrant call.

The professional illicit substance seeker has been on the force since March 29, 2013. And while Fiji isn’t the first canine he has worked with, she is surely one of the first on Schwartz’s “best of” list.

“As far as a working dog goes, she’s one of the top tier I’ve ever been around,” he says. “She’s incredible. Trainers look for focus, commitment and control, and she has all of them. You look at dogs, and many on the streets are working, but watching her work, stay focus and process information, it’s impressive.”

And Fiji is more than just a working dog. She and Schwartz spent six weeks together in training, and she heads back home with him at the end of their shift.

“She goes home with me every night and to work with me each day,” Schwartz says. “She’s great at home and well-behaved inside, but there’s a distinct difference when she knows when it’s time to work.”

Best of (b)Read

For many school-aged children, reading in front of the class can be a trouble

some task and may cause added anxiety.

Luckily, the Westerville Public Library’s seven-year-old Burmese mountain dog, Burgh, is there to help them through the tricky sentences.

Burgh and her owner, Chris Bohrer, volunteer as part of the library’s Tail Waggin’ Tutors program in an effort to help improve the reading skills of children and developmentally disabled adults.

“We have five or more people per hour and they read for 10 minutes,” says Lisa Wise, youth services associate at the library. “They can read aloud to the dog with no one correcting or fixing them. If they get stuck, it’s OK. Burgh doesn’t care if they make a mistake.”

Students register ahead of time and meet with the helpful hound the from noon to 1 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month, September through May.

Since Burgh has been at the library, Wise has seen many successes among the students.

“We had one child who started off reading to himself,” she says. “He couldn’t get it out to the dog, but he eventually started whispering the books. The owner would encourage by saying, ‘Burgh can’t hear you.’ He started reading with confidence and eventually didn’t need us anymore.”

Another student came to the program with reading anxiety and, after a year of reading with Burgh, left with the confidence to take the lead role in her school’s theater program.

But a self-esteem boost isn’t all Burgh provides. She also acts an introduction to dogs for those who may be unfamiliar.

“In between students reading, the owner will invite children to come over and pet Burgh,” Wise says. “They learn how to approach a dog. If a child looks a bit fearful, he’ll teach them the right way to handle a dog. It’s a great added benefit.”

Stephan Reed is an editorial associate. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.